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Episode 1177 (29 August 1995)
Synopsis Arthur's speech raises more than a few hackles, Carol goes on the warpath, and Phil finds that the facts about Ted don't add up. Meanwhile, the Square's residents summon up the spirit of the Blitz in the face of disaster. The aftermath of the explosion - the fire engines arrive very quickly, Carol tells them she smelled gas just before the explosion, and they thank her. They ask everyone to keep back and also whether anyone is missing. The person who lived there was on holiday so there isn't anyone there. Jules says what a lucky escape he had, since he only moved out quite recently. Blossom comes out with the kids, they're all OK. They go into the Vic and no-one seems to mind that it's illegal. Carol says she lives next door, and what will happen to their house: the fireman tells her his boss will tell her afterwards. They put the fire out very quickly. However, they say that the Jackson's house is not safe until there's a structural survey done, and that will be tomorrow. An emergency housing officer will come out from the council to offer them alternative accommodation while their house is uninhabitable. In the Vic, the band are told to go, and everyone gossips about what will happen. Michelle gets questions from all sides asking her what she's going to do about it, as she's a council housing officer. She says that it's not her area, and the emergency man will be called out, like they said. People say that's not very good, and Nellie and Ethel turn up as the bingo at the community centre was cancelled due to the explosion. They seem to think that she should be able to conjure up a house or something. Ethel says that they never had any problems in the war and they should be able to manage only one house being demolished nowadays. She goes on about having only needed 3 numbers to win the bingo too. Nellie points out that the game was four corners, and she only had one. Jules says that she got her 50p back. Ethel says she could have won 25 pounds. Ethel waffles on about the war and the old folks comment that during the war everyone rallied round and took people in. The crowd in the Vic agree and mutter a bit, Pat says Bianca can stay at Ricky's of course. Nigel and Debbie say that Sonia can stay with them. Blossom says that Billy will have to stay with Carol and Alan and Phil says that they can use his house, it's almost ready for him and Kathy to move in, as long as they don't mind sleeping on the floor. So that just leaves Robbie. (People look at each other in terror ;-) ) Peggy is the first to say that he can stay there, just as Pauline also offers reluctantly. Peggy insists, and Pauline is relieved. Arthur is confused back at home, saying why did she offer if she didn't want him there. Pauline says she had to (duh). Grant isn't happy until he shows Robbie to the lounge and the sofa where he will sleep, and walks in on Sam and David snogging on the sofa. He grins and tells Robbie that he(and Well'ard) will sleep there, so make himself at home. Robbie sits down smugly in the chair. David and Sam look pissed off. Next day, Alan goes up to Peggy in the Vic and apologises for Carol's outburst the previous day and thanks her for taking Robbie. Peggy says that she doesn't blame Carol at all, and it was only looking out for her children, and it's what she would have done in the same circumstances. Alan is flabbergasted and says women should have had an instruction manual. Peggy says where would be the fun in that!! Robbie gets told off by Grant who found him snooping in Grant's bedroom. Robbie pretends that he couldn't find the bathroom, and Grant says well have you got it clear now? Because if I ever find you in my room again I'll cut off your ears and make you eat them. Robbie looks terrified, and Grant goes off crossly. Peggy says to Robbie, don't mind him, he has a heart of gold. Robbie looks unconvinced. Carol has seen the housing man and discovers that it may be 6 weeks before the repairs are done. Alan thinks that people will soon be a bit restless about taking their family in for that long, but Carol insists that they will refuse the Bed and Breakfast that has been offered as it is 5 miles away and the kids will have school and she has to go to work, and it's impossible for them to travel that far as they couldn't possibly afford the bus fares. She insists she's not leaving the square. She goes round to Pauline's to ask her to cover that afternoon, but Pauline says she can't be sure because of the public meeting that may go on. But she'll be there as soon as possible. The meeting starts off rather tediously with Arthur going on and on in his speech. He says that there are council people there and they should demonstrate that there is public opposition to having a polluting incinerator in their square. Then there is some dissent - several people say that the incinerator will mean more jobs and Arthur is OK as he has a job, and he's being selfish. They heckle, and Mark, Pauline and Michelle all separately tell them to shut up. The contractor's foreman and Ian look pleased, and the people who complained definitely looked like a set up. They start throwing things at Arthur. The foreman goes outside and hits the fire alarm so everyone leaves the building. Michelle has a meeting with her new boss. He's describing his methods of working, and he's obviously intelligent and polite not to mention rather attractive (about time they found one decent man for the series). After a short time, when Michelle, with her weirdly paranoid personality and total inability to listen to someone else's view without taking it subjectively, becomes argumentative and defensive. She assumes everything he's said is a personal criticism of her methods, as if he actually knows how she works(!). Obviously she doesn't really understand his usual methods of working, and she's not intelligent enough to simply listen and learn what is expected of her, when he says that he thinks they have a difference in approach to the job, Michelle immediately becomes obnoxious as usual and rants a bit about caring about the people(which obviously is totally irrelevant in efficiency in the job, but she doesn't follow logic like this, or like anything really!). Her boss points out that they all care, but using a rational approach gets more done than reacting emotionally to everything and running around like headless chickens. Michelle retorts "so you think that I run around like a headless chicken?" He politely declines to answer, saying that for example how long did she spend chasing up another department to find out about the Jacksons' house this morning, when the people responsible were already handling the case. Michelle says they are my neighbours. Her boss says, well if you have that much time to spare chasing work which is not even in your area, people will ask whether you need to be given more work to do, as you're obviously not busy enough. Michelle looks cross, but obviously can't fault the logic, so finally stops answering back. She says is that it then? Her boss says, yes for now, and as she's leaving he says, oh by the way I have asked the other department to keep me informed what happens about the Jacksons' house. Arthur has the public meeting about the incinerator, and there are a lot of obvious plants(that's the pro-lobby, not the flowering wilderness kind) in the audience who end up heckling Arthur to the point of throwing eggs at him. Credits Main cast *Wendy Richard as Pauline *Adam Woodyatt as Ian *Bill Treacher as Arthur *Todd Carty as Mark *Lindsey Coulson as Carol *Howard Antony as Alan *Mona Hammond as Blossom *Dean Gaffney as Robbie *Natalie Cassidy as Sonia *Ross Kemp as Grant *Steve McFadden as Phil *Gillian Taylforth as Kathy *Paul Bradley as Nigel *Gemma Bissix as Clare *Barbara Windsor as Peggy *Danniella Westbrook as Sam *Michael French as David *Sid Owen as Ricky *Patsy Palmer as Bianca *Susan Tully as Michelle *Ian Embleton as Gary *Joanne Adams as Janet *Caroline Paterson as Ruth *Michael Tudor Barnes as Willy Roper *Pam St. Clement as Pat *Tony Caunter as Roy *Gretchen Franklin as Ethel *Elizabeth Kelly as Nellie *Tommy Eytle as Jules *David Shimwell as Nobby *Richard Albrecht as Hollis *Chris Armstrong as 1st Firefighter *Dave Roberts as 2nd Firefighter *Jeff Bellamy as Freddie *Michael Bell as 1st Heckler *Chris Macdonnell as 2nd Heckler *Edward Max as 3rd Heckler *John Rake as 4th Heckler *Devon Anderson as Billy Category:Episode Category:1995 Episodes